All Films

400 Miles to Freedom

2012 • 60 min

Co-director Avishai Yeganyahu Mekonen’s incredible story of his family’s exodus from Ethiopia to Israel. He was 10 years old when his family, members of the Beta Israel, a secluded 2500-year old community of observant Jews in northern Ethiopia, began their escape. Kidnapped from a refugee camp in Sudan, Avishai was eventually freed and transported to Israel as part of Operation Moses. As part of a racial minority in Israel, Avishai longed for a place where he wouldn’t be called “falasha” (outsider). Now a U.S. resident, Avishai draws on his experiences and launches an inquiry into other Jewish minority groups, leading him to other African, Asian and Latino Jews in Israel and the United States.

Fracture

2012 • 33 min • Russia

"Fracture" is a psychological drama about a guy named Zhenya, who, after showing cowardice in an extreme situation, tries to return to normal life. This is not an easy task, because the result of his act was a terrible injury. What will be more terrible, a fracture of the body or a fracture of the soul?

Sesame Street: Elmo's Alphabet Challenge

2012 • 51 min • United States of America

Are you up for a challenge? An Alphabet Challenge? Abby is excited to show her friends her new Fairy Fly Pad, a magical tablet loaded with cool games. But with a simple tap they accidentally get trapped inside the video game world of A. B. C-more, a mischievous elf obsessed with the alphabet. In order to get back to Sesame Street, the friends must defeat A. B. C-more in different video game challenges that test their knowledge of the entire alphabet.

Sinister Magamagashi 4: Ghostly Confinement

2012 • 56 min • Japan

The leading staff in the Japanse film industry has once more collected submitted videos and actresses to produce this fourth volume of real horror footage. Videos recorded during the exploration of haunted places like "The Cursed Spirit" and other dramatic reproductions of psychic phenomena.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Hard Copy

2012 • 9 min

This is a mock episode of the 80's-90's era tabloid show created as part of the film's Internet promotion.

Aokigahara: Suicide Forest

2012 • 21 min

A short documentary on the famous Aokigahara Forest in Japan. The forest is known to be prone to people looking to commit suicide

Persian Pickles

2012 • 3 min

A swimming study of paisley patterns traces this decorative motif from its origins in Persian weavings to appearances Irish quilting and American Counterculture. Extending on the stroboscopic tradition of anti-animation, this short material study fixates upon discarded materials to examine the decorative and its relationship to the cycles of industry and evolving modes of production. - Jodie Mack

Battling the Yakuza

2012 • 25 min

Organized crime syndicates are deeply entrenched in Japanese history. Known as the Jakuza, they were once seen as gangsters with strict code of honor, helping the police to fight the criminal underworld. The Yakuza in Japan has links that extend as far back as 400 years to Edo era. But their days of protecting the weak against the strong are long gone. Today, the Yakuza is a criminal network with nearly 80,000 members operating in 22 crime syndicates, and raking in billions of dollars a year. And Japan's law enforcement wants to wipe them out once and for all. With their links to drug and prostitution rings, corporate crimes and deadly shootings, Japanese officials want choke the Yakuza's existence by starving them financially.

You Can't Kill the Bogeyman

2012 • 10 min

Explores the worldwide cultural presence of the Bogeyman and how that translates into the character of Michael Myers in the Halloween franchise in the United States. Screened before the 2012 theatrical re-release of John Carpenter's Halloween.

Ich - Udo

2012 • 43 min • Germany

He was a bloodthirsty vampire, an androgynous Adonis and a psychopathic killer. He's a friend of the director Lars von Trier. He gives an impressive performance in almost every one of his films. His face and his pale green eyes have etched themselves into the minds of his audiences. Udo Kier is one of the few German actors to achieve global fame via Hollywood. In the past fifty years, he has been in more than 250 films, ranging from art-house productions to blockbusters. Kier first major role was as a sinister upright citizen called Hans. The fact that he ended up staying in Hollywood was down to serendipity, like so much else in his life.

Tickled Pink

2012 • 8 min • United States of America

He is mute flesh that the stroking of fingers can bring to sing.

The Curse of the Cybermen's Tomb

2012 • 14 min • United Kingdom

Sir Christopher Frayling and Dr Debbie Challis examine the ancient Egyptian origins to the story of the Cybermen's tomb on Telos.

BigzIN

2012 • 17 min • Serbia

The story is set within a colossal old building, in the city centre, where artists are renting their workspace. The building spontaneously spawned into a huge alternative Cultural Centre, and a still fragile, emerging scene is struggling for its existence.

Another Void

2012 • 10 min

Orpheus meets the bird with the crystal plumage.

Ruben

2012 • 14 min • Netherlands

Desperately trying to come to terms with his sexuality, gay teenager Ruben finds his path to sexual acceptance complicated, as homophobic bullying brings him ever closer to the brink of suicide.

The Lark Ascending

2012 • 29 min • United Kingdom

Dame Diana Rigg explores the enduring popularity of The Lark Ascending by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

N'Djekoh

2012 • 12 min • France

While picking up a small coin, Mariam, a young chad, remembers... seven years ago, in the village...

Screen Goddesses

2012 • 59 min

With the beginnings of Hollywood, the star system was born with an archetypal bad girl - the vampish Theda Bara - and the good girl - the blazingly sincere Lillian Gish. From the 1920s, vivacious Clara Bow and seductive siren Louise Brooks are most remembered, but none made the impact of Marlene Dietrich, an icon of mystery, or Greta Garbo, with her perfect features and gloomy introspection. From the power of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis to the seductiveness of Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner, Hollywood studios produced their own brand of beautiful, sassy and confident women. But it wasn't to last. The era drew to a close with the supreme fame of Elizabeth Taylor and the tragic death of Marilyn Monroe.

Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story

2012 • 60 min

In 1978 the Undertones released Teenage Kicks, one of the most perfect and enduring pop records of all time - an adolescent anthem that spoke to teenagers all over the globe. It was the first in a string of hits that created a timeless soundtrack to growing up, making the Undertones one of punk rock's most prolific and popular bands.

Kelly Clarkson: Chapter One

2012 • 50 min

A collection of Kelly Clarkson's official music videos, released as part of her Greatest Hit's collection. Setlist: "Miss Independent", "Low", "Since U Been Gone", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", "Because Of You", "Walk Away", "Never Again", "Don't Waste Your Time", "My Life Would Suck Without You", "I Do Not Hook Up", "Already Gone", "Mr Know It All", "Stronger", "Dark Side"

The Weather War

2012 • 57 min • Sweden

The Weather War is a documentary/art film about man’s attempts to control the weather and harness it for his own purposes. In a blend of land art performance and road movie, artist duo Bigert & Bergström travel to the US tornado belt with their special machine-sculpture, the Tornado Diverter. The goal: To stop a tornado. Along the way, we see historical examples of how the science of meteorology developed in symbiosis with military goals and how these visions evolved into modern ideas of geo-engineering. Controversial ideas with socio-political consequences, spotlighting the big question of who is really entitled to modified weather.

World's Scariest Drug: The Devil's Breath

2012 • 36 min

While it is occasionally used recreationally for its hallucinogenic properties, the experiences are often extremely mentally and physically unpleasant, and frequently physically dangerous. Ryan Duffy went to Colombia to check out a strange and powerful drug called Scopolamine, also known as "The Devil's Breath." It's a substance so intense that it renders a person incapable of exercising free will. The first few days in the country were a harrowing montage of freaked-out dealers and unimaginable horror stories about Scopolamine. After meeting only a few people with firsthand experience, the story took a far darker turn than we ever could have imagined.

Não Estou Aqui

2012 • 16 min

One night, a man tries to make a film that registers his presence.

Southern Dyscomfort

2012 • 37 min

Set amongst a tapestry of fairytale excess, Michael is reared and mentored by a black maid Annie Mae. Michael is surrounded by dysfunctional, quirky, upscale family and friends. Annie Mae is the "mother" that navigates Michael through hilarious perplexing complications. Michael juggles lovers, Kelly the conniving 1st wife, Dorian the gold digging 2nd wife, Marc the easy going effeminate 1st gay lover and Robin the drug addled manipulative 2nd gay lover, all the while haunted by his deceased girlfriend Gardenia who happens to be Anie Mae's niece. Matters are greatly complicated when Kennedy Gamble the butler and Michael's half brother meddles with the family and their finances.